The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-23

America was a great place, nothing grew
in it quite so lovely ss the flowers ana
MOSES from their old fatherlaud.
So the season wore along without much
change till winter. Peter could hope for
still less work during that season But
when spring came the prospect frightened.
Work was more plentiful than during the
summer before 1t would be but snort
time and he could send for Mary. how
easy it was to work when he thought OF
that!
He had taken a claim, and before she
came he would have house built on 1t
which for elegance would rival any
thing in the whole settlement-and 1t
would all be built of sod, too! For sod
house, Peter reasoned, was a palace II
you moved into it in the right spirit. So
there was no doubt that it would be palace
to them.
On the anniversary Of the day that Peter
arrived at Prairie City he appeared early in
the morning at one of the local steamship
ticket agencies found wherever there is
even small per cent. Of foreign popula-
ton. He made his wants known in broken,
but fairly good English, and soon had a
ticket-aticketw which he would send to Mary
and it would bring her away from the little
village in the old world to little village in
the new where he would meet her. But it
would be long time yet before she would
reach there, for it was long way-it was
about as near to go around the world
one way as the other, Peter estimated,
and he had travelled it and ought to
know-so she would not arrive till
some time in the fall. Peter went back
to work and built the house and earned
surprising amount Of money by working
for the neighbors, and had the very best Of
good luck in every way. The house was
even more sumptuous and really more ele-
CANT in its appointments than he had dared
to hope. He invited the neighbors to ex-
anime tit was one Of those residences
that would bear inspection. All! if his
father and his mother could see what
house he had built And his brothers and
sisters and his grandfather, Hendrick An
tijuntti Peterson who lived up on the
mountain, if he could see it and tell II on
his famous visit years ago to st. Peters
burg he saw any houses which for real
comfort and usefulness surpassed his
grandson'si
So everything prospered with Peter, and
at last letter came saying that the ticket
had reached the little village and had been
duly inspected by every one living in it and
the little valley as well, including the au-
thorities and public officers, and even his
grandfather, who lived up on the mountain,
and that they had all pronounced it correct
so far as they knew, though his grandfather
thought it was perhaps just trif1e small
for the very great distance; and that Mary
would start in about week and would sail
away from the same little quay-sal away
to meet her Peter in America, as
she expressed it, and then she signed
her name down in the corner and
put in little pale blue flower which she
had plucked as she came down from the
mountain after showing the ticket to his
grandfather.
So Mary was coming to Prairie City so
sooni Yes, in a week, perhaps sooner,
perhaps a little longer, and she would come
to Prairie City. Peter could scarcely real
ize it. He was so very happy and he was
soon to be so much happier. He had been
to see the minister, Rev. Hans Mustola
Mykkala, who lived over in another settle
ment, and he was to come to the house of
Peters friend and there was to be grand
wedding the next day after she came and
then they would go to live in that palace.
All how surprised Mary would be to see so
fine a residence built, all for her and her
Peter!
He must visit every train now, so that he
would be sure to meet her. A passenger
train now ran on that road, which reached
Prairie City in the evening and that was
the one she would come on. This train was
almost as reluctant as the ''mixed' which
formerly ran, and it was seldom on time,
but Peter always waited till it came, and
drove back with his OK team. Over week
had passed and still she had not come.
One evening there was a light rain and
it was announced that the train would not
arrive till after midnight. At this the
loungers who had strolled over to witness
the exciting event of the arrival of train
went back and left Peter and the station
agent alone.
After an hour the rain ceased. This was
not followed by clear sky, but by prepa-
rations for the real storm of the night. 1t
grew very still, and as Peter paced the plat
form he could part of the time hear it roar
ing overhead, but not a breath could be felt.
1t was hot and sultry. Flash after flash of
that vivid lightning seen only on the great,
open prairie followed in rapid succession.
1t was binding in it's brilliancy and ranged
from blood-red to white. Much of it was so
far away that the thunder could not be
heard, but with nothing across the level
plain to screen it from the eye it seemed
almost as dazzling as if directly overhead.
The great distance that it could be seen and
consequently the wide expanse of the
heavens visible caused the flashes to be
almost continuous. First the whole land.
scape for miles was lit up with a dazzling
light, which caused objects TO take on a
weird, strange appearance as if they alone
were lit up and stood out away from the
dark earth, and then a darkness followed
which made Peter stop in his walk involun-
tarily, as if a great black pit had been
opened up at his feet Part of the electri-
cal discharges were nearer and the thunder
fairly shook the earth and the windows
ratified and the lamp IN the Office f1ickered.
All this time the clouds were hurrying
this way and that, borne about by the winds
high up in the heavens. Soon the wind
began to blow in little fitful gusts and then
it became stronger and more steady. At
last large drops Of rain began to fall and
the thunder came nearer and then the storm
burst and the rain fell in torrents. For an
hour, between the crashing thunder, the
falling rain and the roar OF the wind, it was
almost impossible for the two watchers in
the depot TO hear each other speak. Then
the thunder and wind partially ceased and
the storm settled into long, steady rain.
1t was about this time that the headlight
of the train was seen and Peter took his
station close to the window so as to go out
the minute it arrived. He had been disap-
pointed number of times, but each time
helped the chances for the next, and it
seemed as if she must come this time. And
again he thought of the house, and Of the
wedding tomorrow if she came, but more
particularly of Mary herself. 1t almost
seemed as though he would know it if she
WAS in the car before the train stnnned